So damn handsome.
Daniel looks at me and then back at the guys. “Did you shag one of them?”
Who does he think he is?
Feeling bold, I reply, “No, I shaggedall of them.”
Even if I haven’t had Oliver yet.
Yet?
Daniel laughs. “Wow, Stanley, I didn’t think you had it in you.” Then he turns more earnest. “I know I said you can keep your side chicks, but this is not going to work with them.”
I know it won’t, but I ask anyway, “Why?”
Daniel nods toward them. “You need someone you can shag in private. They’re not private. They’re radiating that they want you, that you belong to them. That’s not gonna slide if you’re my wife.”
I nod.
Right.
Misha grins as they come to a stand in front of us. “Look at us, aren’t we looking hella good?”
Daniel whispers to me, “In for a penny, in for a pound,” then says louder, “Gentlemen,” before leaving.
I watch him walk away, a mix of emotions churning inside me.
I fucked up, didn’t I?
Misha raises an eyebrow. “What was that all about?”
I shrug, trying to shake off the tension. “Just… Daniel being Daniel.”
Grey’s eyes narrow, and I can practically see the gears turning in his head. His jaw tightens almost imperceptibly. “What did he say to you?”
My fingers fidget with my dress as I avoid Grey’s piercing gaze. “Nothing important,” I lie, hating how easily the fib slips off my tongue. “Just some rubbish about the races.”
“Well, forget about him. We’re here to have a good time, right?” Misha offers me his arm with a flourish, his eyebrows waggling comically. “Shall we, milady? Your carriage awaits… well, not really, but I’m happy to carry you if you’d like.”
I laugh, grateful for the distraction, and loop my arm through Misha’s, feeling the warmth of his skin through his suit jacket. I catch Grey watching us, his expression unreadable. There’s something in his eyes that makes my breath catch, but I quickly look away. Oliver falls into step beside us as we walk over to my family in the stands.
“You do clean up well,” I manage to say, my voice a touch breathier than I’d like. “I didn’t think you’d come today.”
Misha’s grin widens, if that’s even possible. His dark eyes sparkle with mischief, and my knees go a bit weak. “And miss seeing you in all your Ascot glory? Not a chance, Bug.” He reaches out to tap my ridiculous hat. “You look cute. But didn’t they have that hat a little bigger? It’s so small.”
“Shut up, I know I look like an idiot,” I murmur, feeling a blush creep up my cheek.
“You could never look anything other than perfect,” Oliver says, and my heart does a flip.
The traitor. We’re still not okay with what they did, dammit.
But for a moment, I allow myself to revel in their presence, pushing aside the complications and just enjoying having them here because it won’t last much longer.
Daniel’s words echo in the back of my mind, reminding me of the choices looming before me. Of what I will do to make sure my brother won’t lose everything.
Even if I lose what I thought I’d already lost.
We make our way through the crowd, navigating the sea of fascinators and top hats, and I can’t shake the feeling that things are about to get a whole lot more complicated.
